


Hidden Treasure

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [231]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s01e04 Emancipation, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24072745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: “Is something wrong, O’Neill?”“This whole situation is wrong Teal’c,” he muttered before he could stop himself. He met his friend’s eye, then shrugged. “The captain should have been back by now. Keep an eye out and I’ll go and check on her.”
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Bizarre Holidays [231]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1234973
Comments: 18
Kudos: 103





	Hidden Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I'm back for a day. Written for ‘Geocaching Day’ (17 August), a day to “celebrate the wonderful world of geocaching; the hobby that involves hunting out secrets hidden by other geocachers.” 
> 
> I took a little creative license with this one. Also, this missing scene from Emancipation diverges from the episode slightly – in that Sam was punished by Turghan after she tried to escape the village. There’s nothing explicit in the chapter, but I wanted to flag up a warning.

Jack glanced at his wristwatch and grimaced. Captain Carter had left camp to “freshen up” ten minutes earlier and even though the two of them had only been working together for three weeks, he knew enough about his teammate to know that she didn’t need ten minutes to freshen up. The Air Force instilled that kind of discipline in its officers.

He studied the general direction in which Sam had disappeared as he drummed his fingers against his thigh. He didn’t want to interrupt if she was genuinely still in the process of _freshening up,_ but he also wanted to make sure that she hadn’t been stolen from under his nose. _Again._ He sighed heavily.

“Is something wrong, O’Neill?”

“This whole situation is wrong, Teal’c,” he muttered before he could stop himself. He met his friend’s eye, then shrugged. “The captain should have been back by now. Keep an eye on Daniel,” he added as he got to his feet. “I’m going to check on Carter.”

With a nod, the Jaffa moved away while Jack turned on his heel and headed towards the trees that encircled their makeshift basecamp.

He felt his anger increase with every step he took, but it wasn’t directed towards the captain, it was at himself. He was angry that he hadn’t taken the proper precautions to keep his team safe. He’d let his guard down and, as a result, Sam had been kidnapped, taken prisoner and almost been –

A wave of nausea hit him and he closed his eyes.

_Nothing else had happened,_ he told himself, _they’d found her in time._ It didn’t make the situation any better, nor did it forgive his actions or absolve his guilt, but they’d found her.

Still, he should have known better. He thought he was better than that.

He’d been left behind on a mission before and it was the one thing he swore he never would do to his teammates – but that was exactly what he had done. He’d left Sam behind, on her own, just so he could attend a party. It didn’t matter if the captain had insisted she was okay; Jack should have listened to his instinct and turned his team back home at the first sign the captain’s presence was a problem for the Shavadai. He’d failed to do that, but he shouldn’t have let Carter out of his sight; not because she was the only female member of his team and needed protecting since she’d proven that she could look after herself, but he honestly wondered whether he would have left Daniel or Teal’c alone as quick. At the very least, he was pretty sure he would have checked in with them over the course of the evening. Yet he hadn’t checked in with the captain; not once.

She had been missing for hours and he hadn’t known. It was only when he’d sent Daniel to get her the following morning and the archaeologist had come running back across the camp to tell him Sam was missing, that the horrible reality of the situation started to sink in. His initial shock had quickly turned to panic and he genuinely hadn’t known what to do. For all of his black ops training, he had nothing at his disposal to start tracking his teammate or where to even begin to look for her.

It was only when Teal’c stepped forward and said he could find Captain Carter, did Jack refocus his thoughts. He believed his friend and found himself following as they studied the tent Sam had been staying in and the surrounding area. Minutes later, Teal’c had noticed the disturbed earth at the edge of the camp site and Jack slapped him on the shoulder. They could track her. He just hoped that whatever had happened – wherever Sam was – that they weren’t too late.

It had felt like the longest mission of his life as they made their way through the forest and fields, stopping at every fresh clue that Sam had passed through recently. Then, finally, when Turghan’s camp had come into view, Jack let out a breath when he spotted her. The relief he felt that she was alive and unhurt was immediate, and it took him a few seconds to tear his gaze away.

The sound of a twig snapping underfoot pulled him from his thoughts and he shook his head. As he approached the line of trees, he figured he would stumble across Sam at any moment, so he slowed his pace and cleared his throat to announce his presence without startling her. He knew she didn’t need any more surprises this mission. His actions were met with silence however and his panic started to return.

He took another step closer when he heard rustling to his left and he swung around. There, partially hidden by a tree and with her back to him, was Captain Carter. Without thinking, he exhaled loudly but the noise travelled further than he expected and the captain suddenly tensed.

“Carter?” he called before she could turn around – or point a gun in his direction.

_“Sir!”_ She turned on her heel and met his eye as she simultaneously tried to straighten her tee-shirt.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes, sir. I just… need another minute.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, averting his gaze when he noticed her still struggle to pull down her tee-shirt. “Dinner is ready, whenever you are.”

She nodded in response, and that should have been enough for Jack to turn around and leave, yet he found himself unable to move.

He glanced at the trees around him, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed her jump. When she cursed softly, he risked a glance in her direction and froze. The question had left his lips before he could stop it.

“What the hell happened, Captain?”

“It’s nothing, sir.”

“The hell it isn’t,” he argued. He took a step closer, only for Sam to take one away and he frowned at her expression. Slowly, he held his hands out by his side. “I’m not going to hurt you, Carter.”

His words seemed to register and Sam’s gaze snapped to his. “I’m sorry, colonel, I didn’t –”

“Captain,” he interrupted softly. He waited until he was sure he had her full attention. “What happened?”

“Turghan doesn’t like a woman who speaks out of turn,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

Jack’s anger soared. “Turn around.” He caught the hesitation on her face and he softened his tone. “I’m asking as your commanding officer, Sam. I need to see your injuries.”

Sam let her hands fall by her sides then slowly turned and Jack sucked in a breath.

“Alright. I’m going to move closer,” he said. As he studied the skin of her back, broken and bruised, he cursed. “Those look like –”

“It was a whip, sir.”

The silence that followed her admission was deafening.

“I – ah – I tried to escape,” she added quietly and Jack pretended to ignore the waver in her voice, “but I got caught. This was my punishment.”

Jack’s jaw tensed as Moughal’s words from hours earlier came back to haunt him.

_Turghan will partake in his newest purchase._

“Carter, I need you to be honest with me here. Are there any other injuries I need to know about?”

“No, sir.”

When she turned around to face him, he studied her until he decided that she was telling the truth.

“Okay,” he eventually said, not wanting to press the issue any further for now, “but we need to get you home.”

“I’ll be –”

“It’s not a suggestion, Captain.” Obviously, he and his second had more work to do before they reached a full understanding of how their working relationship was going to play out as he didn’t fail to notice Sam’s flinch at his order. He sighed. “I think Daniel has some of that ointment stuff in his pack.”

“I can –”

“Just… let me do this, please,” he said as he reached for his radio.

“Daniel, come in.”

_“Jack? Is everything okay?”_

“You got any of that ointment?”

_“Uh, yeah… What’s –”_

“Good,” he interrupted. “Give it to Teal’c; he knows my location.”

_“Is Captain Carter okay?”_

He looked at Sam and she gave him a small smile in return as she carefully reached for her own radio lying by her feet. “I’m fine, Daniel.”

After a promise that Teal’c was on his way, Jack held Sam’s gaze. “I owe you an apology, Carter.”

“Sir?”

“For letting the team be split.”

“None of us knew –”

“That’s beside the point,” he interrupted, “and it’s not going to happen again. I’m sorry, Sam.”

She ducked her chin, then slowly met his gaze. “Thank you, sir.”

He nodded, then cleared her throat. “I, ah, I should probably go and keep a look out for Teal’c. Will you –”

“I’ll be fine here, sir.”

“Yes, yes you will,” he agreed softly.


End file.
